The present invention relates to a regulator for regulating airflow through an air outlet. In particular, the invention relates to a regulator for regulating airflow through an air outlet having multiple louver blades integrated with a shaft supported in a bearing hole and interconnected via an interlocking member.
In an air outlet through which air flows out into a car compartment of an automobile, a louver is provided for adjusting a wind direction. The louver is generally interconnected to multiple louver blades through an interlocking member such as a link mechanism or cam mechanism. The multiple louver blades provided in the air outlet can change a direction as a whole by manually rotating an operating member such as a dial partially exposed at a front surface of an instrument panel (see Japanese Patent Publications (KOKAT) No. 63-112210 and No. 11-70814).
The louver blades composing the louver directly receive a wind pressure, thus the louver blades tend to vibrate if there is a gap, thereby causing a squeak and rattle. In order to support the louver blade without a gap, a shaft portion formed integrally on the louver blade must fit tightly to a bearing hole formed in a framing member.
However, in order to tightly fit the shaft to the bearing hole, high tolerance in manufacturing and assembly is required, thereby complicating the manufacturing process. Also, the framing member for supporting the louver and louver blade is generally formed of an injection molded thermoplastic. However, due to a change in temperature or an extent of air conditioning, the louver blades and the framing member may be deformed under heat. Thus, it is difficult to adjust the louver blade with a constant force due to the deformation.
Moreover, in the link mechanism or cam mechanism as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publications, it is difficult to obtain a linear relationship between a rotational angle of the manual operating member and a tilting angle of the louver blades. It is also difficult to operate with a constant control force over the entire operation range, thereby preventing a smooth operation.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems in the conventional technology, and a main object is to provide a regulator for regulating airflow through an air outlet that can be operated smoothly and reduce a gap, without complicating the manufacturing process and being affected by the temperature change.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, according to the present invention, a regulator for regulating airflow through an air outlet includes a plurality of louver blades interconnected through an interlocking or interconnecting member; a damper provided in an air path; a manual operating member for tilting the louver blades and damper; and two gear means engaging with each other and disposed at an interconnecting portion between the manual operating member and the damper. One of the gear means is formed in two portions separated along an axis and provided coaxially. The two portions are slightly shifted in pitch, and are connected to be able to displace with each other in a circumferential direction with elasticity. With this configuration, the two portions have the shifted pitch and contact the inside of the other gear tooth with the elasticity, thereby preventing a backlash.
Also, the louver blades and the interlocking member may be connected through an axis direction pin projecting at a location offset from a rotational center of the louver blades, and a long hole with a long axis situated on a line parallel to a straight line between a substantial middle point of a rotational range of the pin and a center of tilting of the louver blades. With this configuration, it is possible to minimize a frictional angle between the long hole and the pin during the tilting motion of the louver blades.
Further, rotational resistance applying means may be provided in the rotational center axis of the manual operating member. Thus, a gap at the manual operating member can effectively be eliminated, thereby preventing a gap at the louver blades connected to the manual operating member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a regulator for regulating airflow through an air outlet includes a plurality of louver blades integrated with axis portions supported at bearing holes and interconnected through a link plate; a supporting plate with the bearing holes attached to an air outlet; and an elastic portion provided on the supporting plate and being capable of deforming along an axis of the louver blades. With this configuration, the supporting plate can elastically deform to absorb a heat deformation between the air outlet and the louver blades.
Further, the elastic portion may be provided on both ends of the supporting plate or the elastic portion may have a branched portion to improve stability in attaching the supporting plate to the air outlet.
Further, O-rings formed of a silicon resin with self-lubricity may be placed at a supporting shaft of the rotational operating member to displace the interlocking member in the horizontal direction, thereby reducing a fluctuation in torque with the temperature change.